Opening up a chimney

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I recently removed an old Baxi coal fire with back boiler.

The intent was to continue to the builders opening.

Background, I removed the surround and hearth and was left with the edges of the coal fire exposed, as seen in the photo below.

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I then removed the baxi, leaving an opening within the builders opening. The builders opening I'm taking is the vertical mortar line either side of where the baxi was.

40429314053_9eac577f8e_c.jpg


Today I start to open the width up to the builders opening, but on doing so I started to discover and wonder what I need to do at the rear of the opening where the gather (is that the correct word?) of the inside of the chinmey/flue.

Some photos of the inside

46511149135_cc20a1e7fe_c.jpg


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Drawing of the inside of the chimney.

Red brick being the builders opening, orange brick being brick to remove. There is concrete behind the orange brick within the opening, which I assume was to bed the old coal fire into. The gather of the inside of the chimney appear so sit on this concrete.

Dark grey is the chimney flue, as you can see it kicks off to the left hand of the 'opening' where the coal fire was. Very rough drawing, not to scale but gives you an idea.

46703426734_3a9014081d_o.jpg

46703426734_3a9014081d_o.jpg

Suggestions welcomed, thank you.
 
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whats your purpos in doin this - what dimensions are you workin to ie width an height?
why not read the related threads at the bottom of this page an related threads at the bottom of ther pages.
 
whats your purpos in doin this - what dimensions are you workin to ie width an height?
why not read the related threads at the bottom of this page an related threads at the bottom of ther pages.

I've read other threads but they don't give me an answer to this. Even searches online don't, so I've stopped the work for the moment.

The width I'd like to work to is the builders opening, the vertical mortar line which I mentioned previously.

The height, just to the lintel at the top of the opening, so no higher than you can see.
 
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but for what purpose areyou openin it up?

It had an old Baxi coal fire in it. To be honest the appearance was dreadul and was a real eyesore, so prior to decorating I've taken it all out and am just opening the fireplace up to make a feature of it.
 
take out all the infill up to the lintel an to the back wall - nothin will fall down.
wire brush or grind off all the soot.
have the chimney flue swept (an any other redundant flues ).
must have a ventilation terminal on the stack an a vent at the fireplace area for through ventilation.
read up on how to put in a plate to seal off the flue
 
take out all the infill up to the lintel an to the back wall - nothin will fall down.
wire brush or grind off all the soot.
have the chimney flue swept (an any other redundant flues ).
must have a ventilation terminal on the stack an a vent at the fireplace area for through ventilation.
read up on how to put in a plate to seal off the flue

So what's supporting the stack/gather at the rear of the fireplace? Is it likely to be corbelled into the actual partywall and front of the fireplace at the builders opening?
 
I think I should buy a mini acrow before going any further.
 
Inside the chimney, that brickwork to the sides at the back appears to be maybe separate to the gather?

Here's a photo of the left hand inside, you may be able to make out from the photo that the gather is sat on what I'm calling the lower gather, rather that appearing to all be one.

33558836768_3c7a42fc03_o.jpg


Here's a photo of the right hand inside, you may be able to make out from the photo that the gather is sat on what I'm calling the lower gather, rather that appearing to all be one.

32493107397_2dba19ae2c_o.jpg


I am considering inside the open fireplace, replacing that concret you can see with a single skin brick pier to support the gather, if necessary.
 
Still don't know what to do. A part of me wishes I never even bothered with it in the first place.
 
Ok, I made a drawing to scale.

Brick pattern is the chimney and fireplace opening. From the drawing you can see that the actual fireplace is wide in the living room, but in the bedroom upstairs the chimney narrows.

What's to be removed is within the 700mm opening, but to the rear of the fireplace. The concern was would there be any structural issues when removing the bricks at the rear of the opening which are not below a lintel, but above the concrete the Baxi was bed into, which are possibly the chimney gather.

From the drawing it can be seen that there is only a very narrow chimney stack which is to the left of the fireplace, but nothing at all central or to the right of the fireplace.

46735683044_2c31b9c530_o.jpg
 

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